


In Different Shoes

by thegalrahobbitofplantetgalilfrey



Series: The Red Paladin's Double [8]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Funny, Gen, Lance is a great cat, Pidge is mean, Shiro is a little mean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-09-16 12:55:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9272714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegalrahobbitofplantetgalilfrey/pseuds/thegalrahobbitofplantetgalilfrey
Summary: When a specialized spell hits the lions, the paladins are turned into cats. Can they get used to their new forms?





	

**Author's Note:**

> ok, so I wrote this while I was half delirious from sickness, so please don't judge me.

“Lance, bank right! Keith, left!” The blast of the ion cannon missed both boys as they followed Shiana’s instructions.

            “Thanks!” a round of laser fire hit the blue lion, and Lance yelped in surprise.

            “Shiana!”

            “What? I can’t read robot minds. Left Hunk. No! Hunk, your _other_ left.” Hunk had gone right instead of left and was cornered. Shiana got up from her cross legged position on the floor and manned the guns. Something or other had stopped working and Coran was fixing it. Alura was on a nearby planet getting civilians out of the way, and that had left Shiana to both man the defenses _and_ tell the paladins when the ion cannon was going to fire. She blasted the robot ships and Hunk circled back to join the others. Shiana resumed sitting on the floor and pressed her eyes closed.

            “She’s gonna fire again. Shiro, you’re the target.” Shiana scrunched her eyes shut further as a new presence appeared aboard the ship.

            “Oh, and Haggar is now on board. Have fun.” Coran appeared.

            “Alrighty then,” he said cheerfully, “We’ve got full power, and I don’t _think_ the walls will sprout tentacles again.” He started firing on the Galra and it looked like the battle would be over soon. With the drone ships out of the way the paladins were able to start the Voltron transformation. Shiana took this time to take a peek at Haggar’s mind. Her eyes grew twice as large as their normal size as she realized the druid’s intent.

            “Don’t form Voltron,” she yelled into the com, “I repeat, abort forming Voltron. The paladins were evidently confused, but they spiraled out of their formation as a jet of dark magic shot from the ship and split into five balls of light that hit each of the five lions. They were slammed back towards the ship and Shiana opened the hangar doors so that they slipped neatly into their respective hangars. Allura ran in.

            “The natives are secure- what is going on?”

Shiana ran past her towards the hangars.

            “The lions were hit by some magic spell thingy. We need to check on them.”

            “What the…” instead of the lions of Voltron, there were five humanoid robots that looked suspiciously like the paladins.

            _Red?_

 _Oh, hi. Fat lot of help_ you _were out there._

_Shut up, you. What’s going on?_

_I’m human shaped. Is this how you are 24/7? Don’t think I like it. Geez, how do you people stay balanced, let alone_ walk.

            _Where’s Keith?_

_Oh, he’s still inside. He’s… different._

Shiana ran into the red… robot? It wasn’t exactly a lion anymore. She peeked into the pilot chair. Inside was… a cat? She touched it gently and its head whipped up as it glared at her.

            “If you pet me…” Shiana jumped. That was Keith’s voice! Keith had been turned into a cat and Red into a human robot? This was just getting too weird. The Keith cat jumped off of the seat and stalked out of the robot, tail waving indignantly. Shiana followed, trying not to laugh. It was just… Keith was bright red. She could see the other paladin-cats getting out of their robots as well, and she did laugh when she saw Lance and Pidge, who had blue and green fur. Shiro and Hunk, at least, were normal cat colors. Hunk was super fluffy, and Shiana wanted to run over and pet him. Pidge was a tiny cat, and her glasses were nowhere to be seen, while Shiro was big, but not the way Hunk was fluffy, and black furred. Lance stalked out, looking cool and unconcerned, very aloof and sending off a _can’t touch this_ vibe until Shiana leaned down and scratched him behind the ears. His expression melted and he purred, rubbing against her leg. She giggled.

            “Paladins! Focus!” Allura clapped her hands. “What happened?” Shiro stood up as rigidly as possible.

            “Haggar hit us with some magic. It switched us for our lions.” Shiana nodded.

            “It’s a good thing they weren’t in Voltron when it happened.”

            “Why?”

            “Who knows what might happen? They could’ve been turned into robots themselves, or…” she shuddered. “Based on Haggar’s general intention, they could’ve been, um, they could’ve fused into one person. Like with Shiro’s head and torso with Pidge and Keith on him for arms and their faces for hands, and Lance and Hunk on for legs with their faces for feet.” The paladins stared at her, dismayed. That could happen? She shrugged.

            “Ok, how do we fix this?” That was Lance, walking in circles, his tail lashing. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’d prefer to be a human, and I’m sure the lions would like to be lions again. So what do we do?” Allura shook her head.

            “I… I don’t know. We’ve never seen anything like this before. We can look through the ship’s data banks, but without the AI to help, it may take some time.”

            “How much time?”

            “Maybe weeks. Maybe months. Meanwhile, I think you should all get used to those forms. I don’t know exactly what will happen, but maybe you can claw Zarkon?” The paladins wandered off, Hunk to the kitchen, Shiro to the navigation deck and Lance with him. Pidge mumbled something about her room and Keith headed straight for the training deck. Shiana followed.

            Keith growled. Curse this cat form. He couldn’t pick the stupid sword up. He bit onto his bayard and activated it. And promptly fell over from the weight. Shiana, who had wandered in at some point, snorted.

            “It’s not funny!” She smiled apologetically.

            “Well, it is a little bit.”

            “No, it isn’t! What happens when I fight Zarkon? What then? He’ll beat me up, because I am a cat!” He sat on the floor, tail twitching. She sat next to him. It amazed her how many messages could be sent with just the tail. Lance’s had curled around her legs and languidly swished while he was happy, while Keith’s tail seemed to constantly be lashing or twitching angrily. She reached over and gently scratched him behind the ears. He gave her the most baleful look he could muster. He wasn’t like Lance, a purring pussycat.

            “Shiana…”

            “I’m sorry! You’re so adorable and furry, I just want to pet you!”

            “Well, stop it.” He stalked off to his room. Hopefully she wouldn’t follow.

Shiana heard a bang and a crash, followed by a startled “Ow.” Then another one sounded. “ouch.” Shiana poked her head around the corner where a bright green cat was bumping into the walls.

            “Pidge? You okay?” The cat turned and stared at her, although Shiana could tell she couldn’t see her.

            “Argh! Shiana, I can’t see anything! My glasses are back on the green… robot, and I keep bumping into the walls! I can’t find my room!”

            “Okay, okay. Calm down. Do you have a spare pair?” Pidge nodded.

            “Back in my room.” Shiana picked Pidge up.

            “Okay, I’ll take you there and we can work on it.” She carried the green paladin to her cluttered room and spotted a pair of glasses. She studied them, frowning.

            “These won’t fit you as a cat.” She cut off the eyepieces and bent the wires around, adding a strap with some bits and pieces lying around. Then she popped them on Pidge’s face, cinching the straps around her ears and head. She looked like she was wearing a weird head gear, but at least she wouldn’t bump into walls. Pidge smiled, or at least the corners of her mouth turned up a bit.

            “Thanks.”

            “No problem.” A yowl sounded from the kitchen. Shiana sighed. “And now I bet Hunk just found something he can’t do as a cat.” She ran to the kitchen, where Hunk was stuck in a jar that did _not_ look like it was big enough to hold him.

            “Ahh! Shiana! Help! I tried to get something to eat out of this jar, and it ate me,” he wailed, “I don’t like it! I like eating things, not having them eat me! Help!” Shiana bit back a smile. She wished she had something to record this.

            “Okay, Hunk, calm down.”

            “Calm down? Shiana, this jar is eating me! I think it might be corrupted by leftover Galra crystal! I can’t calm down! I don’t want to get eaten by a jar!”

            “Hunk, I promise the jar is not eating you, you’re just stuck. I’ll get you out, but you have to stop panicking.” She picked the jar up. “Now, are you going to behave?” He nodded, eyes still panicked. “Okay, I’m going to find you a glass cutter.” She carried him out of the kitchen and towards a tool room. Allura passed by. She stopped.

            “Shiana, is that Hunk?” Shiana hid the jar behind her back.

            “Maybe.”

            “Is he stuck in a jar?”

            “Possibly.”

            “Do you need some help?”

            “No.” Shiana ran past the Altean princess, plunking Hunk’s jar on a table. “Glass cutter, glass cutter…” She rummaged around until she found the tool she was looking for.

            “Uh, Shiana? That looks sharp. And pointy.”

            “Yes, it has to cut glass.”

            “I don’t like sharp pointy things coming close to me. It’s like running with scissors.”

            “I promise I won’t cut you.” Shiana cut the bottom off of the jar and Hunk slid out, shaking himself. He ran back for the kitchen, presumably to look for something else to eat. And would probably end up stuck again. Shiana walked outside of the tool room and Allura’s mice scampered over her feet. The reason for their panic was evident when a blue cat came tearing around the corner, chasing after them. Shiana jumped backwards as he streaked by. Then the meaning of what she’d seen caught up to her.

            “Lance! No!” She chased after the blue paladin and caught him, pulling him into her arms as he struggled against her. The mice scampered up to Allura, who scooped them up, glaring at the struggling Lance.

            “Shiana! Let me go! Gotta eat the mice! Gotta catch them!” Shiana bopped him on the nose.

            “Bad Lance! You can’t eat Allura’s pets!” He stopped struggling as he realized what had just happened. She let him go and he slid to the floor with a groan.

            “Oh, I am so sorry, Allura,” he moaned, “I don’t know what happened! I was just sitting on the navigation deck, and then the mice walked by, and I just started chasing them! I have no idea why! I am so, so sorry.” She just sent him a withering glance and swept off, speaking soothingly to the terrified mice. He slumped to the floor, putting his paws over his head.

            “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Shiana sat next to him.

            “It’s okay, Lance. Chasing mice is just a cat instinct. Hunk’s already gotten himself stuck in a jar, and it’s only a matter of time before we literally drive Pidge up a wall. I’m sure that you are all going to slip up and do something catlike. Keith will probably end up chasing a laser dot all over the castle, and I’m sure Shiro is going to end up getting into a literal catfight trying to keep you and Keith from tearing each other apart.” She scratched him behind the ears and he purred, flopping into her lap. She gently stroked him and he rubbed all over her, laying in different positions so she could pet him. Shiro padded over just as he was lying on his back in her lap and she was scratching his belly. He rolled off of her lap with a thump and stood up straight. Shiana jumped up.

            “Oh, hi Shiro.” Shiana could practically see him raising an eyebrow.

            “Hi. Lance, Allura tells me you were chasing her mice.” He fixed Lance with a stern look and the blue cat drooped.

            “Yeah,” he mumbled, “Primal instincts. I’m sorry.” Shiro’s tail swished languidly, authority in every movement.

            “You have to control those instincts. We can’t go around chasing mice when we have better things to do.”

            “But-”

            “No buts. You have to learn to keep your cat instincts in check.”

            “Yes sir,” Lance replied gloomily. He dragged away, tail flopping on the floor. Further up, Shiana could hear a yowl as he crashed into Keith as he walked out of his room and the sound of an argument starting. She winced.

            “You handled that well.” Shiro sat down, tail curling around his front paws as he assumed the perfect picture of a noble and majestic cat.

            “Thank you. The black lion has been giving me lessons in ah,” he coughed.

            _In what he calls “looking majestic as a cat”,_ Red crowed triumphantly in Shiana’s head. _Let the teasing commence!_ Shiana snorted.

            “Looking majestic as a cat?” Shiro coughed. The black lion’s voice sounded in his head.

            _Hush, mewling one. Time to be majestic._

            “Yes.”

            “Well, I guess you did look pretty majestic.” She pulled a laser pointer out of her pocket.

            “Thank you.” He noticed what she had in her hand and he stiffened.

            “No, Shiana, don’t you dare-” Shiana clicked on the laser pointer with an evil grin. Shiro’s attention focused on the dot and he batted at it. Shiana moved it away from his paws and he jumped, lifting his paws to see that the red dot was not under them and frantically chased after the light. They passed Lance and Keith, who was telling Lance _exactly_ what he could do with his big fat paws.

            “…And you can shove them right up your-” Shiana put the light near them, and both boys’ attention immediately switched from their argument to the light and they joined Shiro in his conquest for the laser dot. They ran, yowling and pouncing on the light all the way down the hallway. Shiana wasn’t far behind, laughing her head off. When they reached the navigation deck she sat down and flicked it around the room, her feline friends still trying to catch it.

 Allura strode in, only to almost be knocked over by three balls of fur. Shiana leapt out of the chair, flicking the laser pointer off. The three cats frantically looked around before realizing what had happened. Allura gave Shiana her most annoyed look, and Shiana smiled sheepishly.

            “Sorry.” Keith shook himself, settling his bristling fur before walking off his nose in the air, trying to maintain his dignity. Lance bounded out of the room, trying to get away before Shiana turned on the laser pointer again. Shiro gave her his most disappointed look.

            “Shiana, I wanted to send you on a mission, but apparently you are too childish to handle such a thing.” Shiana turned red.

            “Aw, no, Allura, please? I’m sorry.” Allura shook her head.

            “Fine. I need you to fly the red lion-” Allura stopped, her face turning red. “Never mind. I forgot… Sorry, we can’t.” She strode back out, probably to find Coran. Shiro was still giving her a disappointed look.

            “Shiana, you shouldn’t do that. It isn’t fair to take advantage of our cat qualities just for a couple of laughs.”

            “Just like it’s fair to yell at Lance for following his instincts and chasing the mice?” Shiana spoke softly, but the anger was evident and a challenge was clear in her voice. Shiro stopped.

            “I… I guess…” He lowered his head. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have been so harsh with Lance. It’s not his fault, I can see that now. I should apologize.” He dipped his head and walked out, following Lance’s path. Shiana sighed as she heard a whimper. She walked into Hunk’s room to see him on top of a door, claws dug into his perch.

            “Hunk?”

            “I climbed up here, but I have no idea how to get down.”

            “Why did you climb up in the first place?”

            “Oh, uh, Pidge put a candy bar up there so I’d try to get it and leave her alone.”

            “Looks like it worked. Ok, Hunk, just jump into my arms, ‘kay?” He looked down at her.

            “Mmm… I don’t think so. It looks kind of high.” Pidge walked in, rolling her eyes.

            “Hunk, just jump into her arms. It’s not as high as it looks and she won’t drop you.” Hunk shook his head. Pidge rolled her eyes again and sighed. She clambered onto the doorframe and gave Hunk a shove. He lost balance and fell into Shiana’s open arms. Pidge jumped onto Shiana’s head (Thank goodness she was so light) and walked back to her room, muttering something about how she could now understand the phrase “scaredy-cat.” Shiana gently petted the shaking Hunk, smoothing his fur. He nestled into her arms and promptly fell asleep. She smiled at his sleeping, fluffy form and gently set him on his bed. He curled up and started to snore. Shiana took this time to exit the room.

            A yowl of frustration came from Pidge’s room. Shiana walked in, half expecting to see her glasses/headgear dangling with Pidge bumping into walls. Instead, she saw her poking at the laptop with her paws.

            “Everything okay, Pidge?”

            “No,” she growled, “the stupid computer isn’t cooperating! I can only press two keys at a time, using the mouse is murder, and don’t even get me started on trying to open the thing!” Shiana shook her head and left. She couldn’t do anything here.

            “Lance?” Shiana poked her head in his room. His head peeked cautiously out of his closet.

            “You don’t have the laser pointer, do you?”

            “No.”

            “Ok. I’ll come out.” He edged cautiously out of the closet, eyeing her pocket suspiciously. She held her hands up in surrender. He padded up and rubbed on her legs.

            “What’s up?”

            “Oh, you know, I have some theories I need to vent.”

            “Why not use Hunk? Or Pidge, or Keith?” Shiana shrugged.

            “Hunk is sleeping, Pidge is venting frustration on her laptop and Keith has the attention span of an ADHD gerbil when it comes to running theories by him.” Lance nodded.

            “Ah, yes, that is problematic. What are your theories?”

            “Lots of things. Possibly whoever let down that shield when you attacked the command center is Keith’s father, possibly the spell will only last a few days, possibly the Galra have look-alikes of us all who could replace us all, possibly Shiro is going to snap next time we see Zarkon, possibly Shiro could die, possibly Keith will make a really bad leader, oh wait, that’s not a possibly, that is reality. Possibly… oh. Wait. Ha, I just thought of something! Thank you!” she popped a kiss on Lance’s head and ran out. He smiled. Hearing Shiana run through her nuts theories had been worth it.

            “Paladins! The spell was only designed to switch you around with your lions. If you get hit with it again in your lion, you should transform back!” The paladins nodded. What Shiana was saying made sense.

            “But how will we get her to hit us again? Why shouldn’t she just blast us to dust?” Shiana smiled.

            “Leave that to me.”

            Everything was set. All of the paladins were floating in space in the lions. Pidge had hacked the systems to get Haggar to come out, and the moment she did Shiana launched herself into the druid’s mind.

            Her mind nearly exploded. The druid was so old! Words and memories she couldn’t even begin to comprehend floated by in her mind. But that didn’t matter. She just needed to tamper with her sight. Words floated across Haggar’s mind when she tried to change images. _WHO IS THERE?_ Suddenly Shiana was in a fight not only to take over the witch’s mind, but to protect her own.

            Allura stared nervously at Shiana. Her eyebrows had scrunched, and she seemed to be struggling. Her eyes flickered open, and Allura gasped. Her eyes were pure gold, glowing softly. To her and Coran’s amazement, the eyes slowly turned white, then black, then brown and she gained control. She smiled slightly, and jets of light hit the robots, transforming them back into lions. The battle was won.

            Keith pulled off his helmet and sighed, flopping onto a chair. It was good to be human again. Shiro clapped twice.

            “Good job, paladins! Especially you, Shiana, for both figuring out how to fix us and making it happen! I’m glad we got all of that out. Now we can all return to our normal schedules!” Shiana pulled out her laser pointer with a lazy grin and clicked it. Lance, Keith and Shiro’s eyes all snapped to it.

            “You are worthless, Druid, worthless. You told me that curse would end Voltron forever!”

            “Sire, the girl is stronger than we thought. She was able to both warn the paladins what was coming _and_ influence my mind. She is a dangerous enemy.” Zarkon smiled.

            “Yes. But dangerous enemies can become powerful allies. I think it is time we captured this runaway.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hush mewling one. time to be majestic. I need sleep. Yay, time to write an episode I spent two weeks trying to figure out how to lead up to. Only eleven more days until season two comes out and this entire fanfic is brutally murdered! Yay!


End file.
